SAAB Complaints

MY 1999 SAAB 9.5 WAGON JUST DIED. IT WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER DIAGNOSED AND SAID IGNITION CASSETTE WAS BURNED OUT. DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION CASSETTE AND SPARK PLUGS FOR $525.40 + 6.0% TAX FOR TOTAL OF $556.92. MY MECHANIC SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE CASSETTES. DEALER SAID MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED. I PAID THE BILL. *NM

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ONLY 35,400 MILES AT FAILURE. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER WHICH IS REPLACING TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

ON AUGUST 13, 2006, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR SAFELY, BUT THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. INVESTIGATIONS BY INTERNATIONAL MOTORS (FALLS CHURCH, VA) AFTER THE EVENT SHOWED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DISINTEGRATED AND TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS SPRAYED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING THE FIRE.

ABRUPTLY, AT 53,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY, EXCEPT TO CITE VARIOUS "CODES." DEALER SAID THEY DO NOT CHECK THOSE CODES AT THE 45,000 MILE INTERVAL. SAAB REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, EVEN AFTER A POLITE APPEAL. APPARENTLY, SAAB DOESN'T VALUE ME AS A CUSTOMER, AND REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE ANY BLAME. ESTIMATED DEALER COST, INCLUDING TAX, IS ABOUT $7,500. I HAVE ALWAYS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED MY SAAB. A TRANSMISSION THAT FAILS AT 53,000 MILES (ON THE HIGHWAY, CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE) ON ITS OWN, WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING, IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. I AM A 4 TIME SAAB OWNER -- WON'T BE BUYING A SAAB AGAIN, FOR SURE, ALTHOUGH BEFORE THIS INCIDENT I WAS PLANNING TO BUY AN 9-7 IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. IF IT WASN'T SUCH A HASSLE, I WOULD FILE A LAWSUIT -- AMONG OTHER THINGS, I AM SURE THAT THIS DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AT 50,000 MILES, JUST AS IT OBVIOUSLY WAS AT 53,000. *JB

VEHICLE COMPUTER BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. VEHICLE COMPUTER NO LONGER WORKS. SHOWS ODD DATA ON DISPLAY SCREEN LOCKS MAY NOT WORK. WINDOW MAY NOT WORK CAUSING A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. UNABLE TO TELL WHETHER AIRBAGS WOULD BE AFFECTED. *NM

BRAKE FAILURE. RESULTED IN COLLISION. DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED FAILED BRAKE COMPONENTS AND REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER, ABS MANIFOLD, BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. CLAIM WAS MADE TO SAAB/GM, CLAIM# 513166, AND WARRANTY COVERED THE BRAKE REPAIRS. THEY SETTLED IN FULL FOR THE SUBSTITUTE TRANSPORTATION AND COLLISION DEDUCTIBLE BUT ONLY OFFERED A PERCENTAGE OF THE INSURER'S COLLISION REPAIR PAYMENTS. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ADVERSE POLICY RATING FOR THE COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOTICED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE GAS LINE TO THE FUEL PUMP WHICH CAUSED A RAPID LOSS OF FUEL. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V557000, REGARDING THE HOSES, LINES/PIPING AND FITTINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT NORMAL SPEED THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME VEHICLE HAS QUIT WHILE DRIVING. PREVIOUS 2 TIMES DEALERSHIP HAS CHECKED VEHICLE AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS. *NM

2003 SAAB 9-5 AERO TRANSMISSION LEAKING DIRECTLY THROUGH PORES IN METAL CASING (NOT SEAM OR GASKET) AT LESS THAN 51000 MILES (LESS THAN 1000 MILES OVER WARRANTY) REQUIRING FULL TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. SAAB USA OFFERS TO PAY ONE THIRD ($1700) OF $5100 ESTIMATED COST. ALTHOUGH CAR HAD BEEN IN A WRECK WHEN IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR OLD, THIS COULD NOT BE RELATED. ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALER AT OR BEFORE THE PRESCRIBED MILEAGE WAS REACHED.*JB

NO WARNING OR SIGNS OF ANYTHING WRONG... ONE DAY I AM DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND TAKING AN EXIT, WHEN MY CAR STALLS OUT ON ME AT 90KM AND HOUR, I ALMOST HIT THE GUARD RAIL. THIS HAS HAPPENED 7 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH WHERE MY CAR HAS STALLED OUT ON ME. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I AM IN NEUTRAL AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. I TOOK THE CAR TO SAAB FOR SERVICE, AND THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND LET ME DRIVE IT HOME. TONIGHT I ALMOST KILLED A CHILD ON A BIKE AS I SLID TO A STOP AFTER MY CAR STALLED ON ME AGAIN. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW SAAB CAN LET SOMEONE DRIVE THEIR CAR HOME WHEN REPORTING SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM. PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! *JB